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Tuesday, 11 April 2017

N for Nomads,

My very first visions of Turkey, as our plane seemed to glide in slowly over the tops of verdant Pine trees, on the forest shrouded Taurus Mountains, was Wow ! Are we really landing at Izmir Airport, in Turkey? I just couldn't believe how green and fresh it looked.

NOMADIC Women in national dress.

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I imagined it to be very dry and barren but it was quite different the scenery was breathtaking, As we turned to land, we could see the turquiose blue waters of the Aegean sea on one side and people in bizzare clothes working on the mountainside. These people turned out to be Nomads. I must confess, I did hold my breath at that stage we seemed rather too close to the mountains for comfort!

Nomadic women working in a mountain side vine yard..

Along the coastal areas in Turkey there are groups of NOMADIC herders called Yoruks. In the winter they come down to the pastures by the coast. During the summer time the blazing sun shrivels the vegetation so the Yoruks travel up to the mountains to the Yaylas, the high mountain plateaus and valley, where there is enough grass and fodder to feed the stock.

Herdsmen with their stock.

They live in traditional black goat-herd tents. The tents are sectioned off into living areas, bedrooms and a cooking area. Most of their cooking is done out side on an open fire and a flat griddle stone.

All these scenes really took us back in time, they looked so biblical yet it was in 1993, that was our first visit to Turkey and we've had several more since,

Nomad kitchen consists of one open fire and a board to roll out the flat bread or pidi .

NOMADIC Herdsman bringing home supper to go with the flat bread!

Aubergine and tomato salad.

The finest beach in Turkey which lies further down the coast still surrounded by the beautiful Taurus Mountains. The contrast between Izmir and Olu Deniz couldn't be so different but still in the same region of my favourite country in Asia Minor...Turkey

Looking at the above picture of Olu Deniz could you believe that this is the same country as Biblical Izmir....?

That's all for now...NO MORE NOMADS>

Many thanks to Denise,Roger, Leslie and the rest of the team.

Best wishes,

Di.

ABCW team PLease note all the pictures are by courtesy of of Mr Google.

I had no idea Turkey was so green! My friend Jill in North Yorkshire has been to Turkey and is taking her eldest grandson very soon to Antalya, a beachside resort town. I wish I could go, too. You have me intrigued now! (Bucket List)

I see you are also participating in this alphabet round ! I have been several times in Turkey in the last 6 years. The first time was a roundtrip through the South, the second a trip through the North and the cities then I stayed 10 days with a friend in Istambul and last year I was Miramar on holidays. It's such a beautiful country ! It's a shame that it has become dangerous and I am against this Erdegan so I won't put my feet on Turkish ground unless they become normal again ! Istambul was such an international city !!